Damian Thompson is Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. He was once described by The Church Times as a "blood-crazed ferret". He is on Twitter as HolySmoke. His latest book is The Fix: How addiction is taking over your world. He also writes about classical music for The Spectator.

Unwavering fidelity of English bishops

In the past few months, Holy Smoke has occasionally hinted that the Bishops of England and Wales have been less that totally enthusiastic in their response to recent papal initiatives. But perhaps I've been too harsh.

The Pope's advice has not always been well received

Judge for yourselves. Here is a little review of the year that I've drawn up.

March: The Pope releases Sacramentum Caritatis, a historic, 60-page statement on the Eucharist. The English and Welsh bishops ignore it for two days, before finally posting three paragraphs on their website.

June: It is revealed that Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor has written to the Vatican arguing against moves to allow Catholics greater freedom to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass.

On June 19, the 99 Names of Allah are sung in Westminster Cathedral.

July: Pope Benedict publishes Summorum Pontificum, his Motu Proprio removing the power of bishops to block celebrations of the Tridentine Mass. From now on it will be known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, or the traditional Latin Mass. In his accompanying letter, the Pope emphasies that he has liberated the ancient liturgy for the benefit of young people who have grown to love it.

The Bishops of England and Wales publish a muted response to the document. Unlike other bishops' conferences, they do not issue a statement explaining its implications.

August: An agency of the Bishops' Conference publishes Catholic Social Justice, a volume of essays that contains a withering attack on Pope Benedict and refers to the atrocities of 9/11 as "the 'terrorist attacks' " in inverted commas.

September: The "director of liturgy" of Portsmouth Diocese, a layman called Paul Inwood, announces that most Catholics in the diocese are not even allowed to ask for the old Mass, as only traditionalist communities existing before the Motu Proprio was published are entitled to it. (The Pope's document says no such thing.)

October: The Bishop of Leeds, Arthur Roche, writes to his priests saying that the underlying purpose of the Motu Proprio is to cater for Catholics who have not accepted "the liturgical reforms and perhaps the teaching of the Second Vatican Council". Decisions about the Old Mass are still up to him, and that he is "not aware" of extra demand for it. Bishop Roche's letter arouses outrage among traditionalists, who accuse him of misrepresenting the Motu Proprio.

November: Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor issues a "commentary" on the Motu Proprio that is very similar to Bishop Roche's. He also says that the local bishop must be consulted about celebrations of the Traditional Mass a stipulation not contained in the Motu Proprio.

It is revealed that the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, Kieran Conry, has dismissed Pope Benedict's Motu Proprio as an "opinion" that is contrary to that of previous popes.

Sir Stephen Wall, former senior policy advisor to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, writes an article accusing the Church of turning away from the message of Christ and heading towards "aggressive fundamentalism".

December: The liberal Archbishop Piero Marini, dismissed as director of Vatican ceremonies by Pope Benedict, publishes a history of liturgical reform that contains coded attacks on current papal policies. The book launch is hosted by Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor in the throne room of Archbishop's House, Westminster.

The Pope brings out his historic second encyclical, Spe Salvi, a stunning exploration of the theology of hope that reformulates the doctrine of Purgatory. There is a great excitement in Rome, but no press release from the Bishops of England and Wales.